Frankenstein might be an unnatural monster, but he also has enough intelligence to suffer for his condition as an outcast. Attempting to kill himself, he approaches an erupting volcano and is engulfed by the lava. Years later, an expedition led by doctor Simon Ingles rescues the monster from his petrified tomb.

Frankenstein’s first reaction is pain and despair, because his suicide has been a failure. However, he finds in doctor Ingles a kind and caring soul, a friend at last. Steve Niles reconstructs the darker sides of society’s perception and the condemnation of an intelligent, although monstrous, creature.

Legendary artist Bernie Wrightson proves once again why he’s one of the best illustrators in the comic book industry, and unlike many of his contemporaries, he has not only maintained a tremendously high level of quality, he has surpassed it. I’ve followed Wrightson’s work: I’ve seen his Swamp Thing from the 70s, his Freak Show from the 80s, his Creepy collaborations, his work for Marvel in Spider-Man Hooky… And I can’t remember the last time I felt so impressed with his art. Without a shadow of a doubt, “Frankenstein Alive, Alive” is the best artistic creation of 2012 (and probably 2011 and 2010 as well).

So let’s take a look at Wrightson’s pages, starting with the first one. We have a very ominous figure (Frankenstein petrified), able to confuse the emotions of the men in the expedition (should they be worried, intrigued, frightened?). Then we have a double page spread divided in three horizontal frames. The first one shows all the solemnity and majestic architecture of a secluded British mansion. The second one shows Dr. Ingles surrounded by hundreds of embalmed lizards and desiccated animals of impossible features, like a museum of the occult, every single piece here reminds us of horror movies or arcane myths.

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We get to appreciate the magnificent collection of Dr. Ingles in another extraordinarily beautiful double page spread. I stared at this powerful image for several minutes, imagining the natural habitat of that gigantic crocodile dangling from the ceiling, guessing the magical properties of the two-headed monster just above the crocodile, trying to discern the content of dozens of glass jars (in some of them we can see brains, in other fetuses of creatures that have never existed in real life, but in others we can only suppose what’s inside…), counting the skulls and canisters in the shelves, admiring the skeletons of several animals that might (or might not) have existed in the 19th century, wondering what is the origin of a strange mummy that seems to have been screaming at the moment of his mummification, observing the sculptures, statues and totems that the doctor has acquired after a decades-long search.

When Frankenstein explains to Dr. Ingles that he never had the chance to receive a proper education his benefactor considers that illiteracy is a malady “but a malady for which there is ample medicine”. When I saw the doctor’s library I was as amazed as Frankenstein, I was so mesmerized by the amount of books that I took the liberty of counting them, and there are roughly 480 volumes there (does anyone else feel like counting them so that we can compare notes?). But what surprises me the most is the composition and the complete dominion over perspective required to depict such a somber and labyrinthine library. Many artists nowadays simply draw a square with a computer software and create divisions inside of them that can resemble books (I should know, I’ve done that), the resulting image is always insipid and uninspiring, what Wrightson does is calculate every angle, and his thorough brush work adds unique texture, depth and density to all the old manuscripts we manage to see.

click to enlarge / hacer click para agrandar

In the final page we get to inspect the doctor’s extravagant laboratory. Test tubes and potions are a clear homage to classic horror films, and as readers we can only wonder what kind of horrific experimentations does the doctor practice with the blood of the unborn fetuses… he says he’s searching in those “protean humours” a cure against the aging process that affects every cell in our body… but how far will he go in order to rejuvenate himself?

Currently I do try to read my comics calmly, paying attention to the hidden visual clues some artists like to leave in their drawings. Most of the time, however, there is nothing relevant about most pencilers’ work, as it obeys only the most basic functionality of telling the story. Bernie Wrightson doesn’t simply tell a story, he shows us every conceivable aspect, every monster, every nightmarish relic; he creates a mood, an atmosphere, he bends light and shadows like a master, and ignites the power of our imagination like no one else could. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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About the Author - Arion

Arion, who is either from Chile or New York (it’s not really clear) writes a blog that the Outhouse steals on a regular basis. Arion is by far the nicest of all the staff writers and the most well behaved only having been banned from one country. One thing we really appreciate about Aroin is that he writes his reviews in English and Spanish and we hope someday he’ll translate this blurb for us. We’re not so good at languages, just look at how well we write in English if you need proof. You should bookmark Arion’s blog - http://artbyarion.blogspot.com – and actually look at it. There will be a quiz at the end of every month.